Third Test Day Two Analysis: Younis puts England to the sword

Pakistan v England / Ed Hawkins / 04 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

Younis and Azhar dominated on day two

"England face the prospect of three successive Test defeats for the first time since their Ashes humiliation of 2006."

Ed Hawkins marvels at Younis Khan's innings as Pakistan take firm control of the third Test. Meanwhile, our man recommends a lay bet on an England batsman whose technique leaves a lot to be desired...

England are heading towards defeat in the third Test against Pakistan in Dubai. They face a stiff target indeed for a chase as a Younis Khan and Azhar Ali partnership put them to the sword. England face the prospect of three successive Test defeats for the first time since their Ashes humiliation of 2006.

As I wrote yesterday, chasing anything of 150 or more on a wearing pitch against the spin of Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman will be a prospect England's beleaguered batsmen will not relish. Rehman mopped up England's innings this morning to claim a well-deserved five-wicket haul.

At least England have been given a few clues as to how to play on this surface. Younis's brilliant century was the work of an old master. Graceful, diligent and trouble free, Younis drew up the blueprint for how to score runs in the sub-continent.

Look how he danced down the pitch to the spinners, at one stage even skipping into a drive and jumping in the air halfway through the shot. That is feet movement which could win him Strictly Come Dancing. Can you imagine a rooted-with-fear England batsman doing the same?

It would be fair to assume that England's batsmen will get the opportunity to replicate Younis at some stage on day three. We wouldn't back any of them to do so, though. Actually, that's not quite fair. Jonathan Trott seems the only trustworthy sort and there is something of the Younis about him: a little gruff, obdurate and the ability to move his feet with purpose.

But in reality it is all about who is most likely to fail. It is a difficult to decide between Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan and an increasingly weary-looking Alastair Cook.

Morgan gets the nod, though, because he is at sixes and seven against the spin of Ajmal and Rehman. Check prices for him to score a 50 in the second dig and ask for a lay of around [3.75].

There is plenty wrong with Morgan's technique. For a start, he has only one shot against the spinners: the sweep shot. It is an uncultured shot against top-class twirlers and is the 'get out of jail' stroke of the afraid and over-coached. And a player who made his way in ODIs, too.

Morgan's backlift is unhelpful. It is too high and means that he is often jamming the bat down onto the ball with hard hands. He needs barely no pick-up at all, which will allow him to caress the ball with soft hands. At the moment he is taking a sledgehammer to a nut.

Recommended Bet
Lay Eoin Morgan for second innings 50 at around [3.75]